Think of sales training like a crash diet – it might work wonders at the time, but if you don’t continue working on it after the course ends, you can quickly slip back into old habits and lose all of that hard-won success.
According to research, the vast majority of corporate sales training programs (85-90 per cent) have ZERO impact after 120 days. That’s why it’s so important to keep sales training front-of-mind, even after the course itself has wrapped up.
Here are three things your company must do after the course has finished to ensure your investment doesn’t go to waste.
1. Follow the 70/20/10 principles
The renowned 70/20/10 principles state that 70 per cent of learning comes from on-the-job training, 20 per cent from managerial coaching, and just 10 per cent from classroom environments (such as a sales training course).
The best way to embed learning and create long-term change is to follow the 70/20/10 principles within your own organisation. This requires taking a three-fold approach, combining group coaching with practice, role plays and in-field development.
We follow the 70/20/10 principles and offer extensive post-training support and development through online video modules and online quizzes, as well as monthly coaching sessions. This ensures that key learnings are being applied in real world situations.
2. Measure results
Measuring results generally falls into two categories: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative results relate to your sales targets, margins, and generally any other numbers you can measure on a graph. For example, one of your primary goals after sales training may be to spend less time closing a deal. From start to finish, this is a measurable result that could give your salespeople more time to approach new customers. It’s important to track your improvement on these targets.
Qualitative results relate to how your sales staff felt about the training. Do they feel more prepared to sell? Are they more confident in their techniques? Do they think the program offered value to the team? Is overall staff morale better than it was before? While it’s tough to measure these types of results with numbers, they can give you an understanding of the ‘bigger picture’ in a way that transcends data.
3. Follow up with your sales training provider
Your relationship with your sales training provider doesn’t end when the course does. As experienced experts in the field, your chosen provider should be able to guide you through some post-course steps to ensure you get off to a good start.
Your provider should be able to help in the following areas:
- Goal setting and implementation.
- Measuring results & calculating ROI.
- Internal communications.
- Managing post-training staff feedback.
If you encounter any problems or have any questions after a course has ended, you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to your provider. Training is an ongoing commitment, not a one-stop-shop.
